A Collection of Stories from Real People

In this series with GreatAmerica, we want to share different voices of the industries we serve.

MSP Interviews: Answers to Questions Circulating in the IT Channel

• Upselling Customers with Cybersecurity
• Entering Managed IT Services
• Build, Buy or Partner?
• Customer Service & Retention
• Adjusting Messaging
• Ramping Sales
• Hiring Talent
• Lead Generation
• Industry Activity
• Outreach Efforts

There have been a lot of recent changes in the MSP industry. To help you understand how the managed services community is adjusting, gain insight, and share best practices, we are going directly to the subject matter experts to ask for answers to your questions. See below for a collection of our most recent interviews from your peers.

Upselling Customers with Cybersecurity

Jeff Blount, vCIO at Cobb Technologies

"Be diligent to schedule consistent QBRs; if I only schedule a QBR when I want to sell a new product, my customers catch on pretty quick. I'm trying to be very diligent about staying in contact, letting our customers know we are there for them. But also having a clear expectation of what I am going to talk about and how I am going to try to highlight, specifically some of the upselling cybersecurity features we can offer them."

Office Equipment Dealers Entering Managed IT Services

Bill McLaughlin, Vice President & CTO at Atlantic Tomorrow's Office

"Managed IT isn’t something you can be half-baked in today – you are all in, or you’re not. It’s not something you can go out and test to see if it’s for your business or not. So if you work with a Master MSP to let them do the heavy lifting on the back end, that enables you focus on selling – and you have a lot of opportunities."

Build, Buy or Partner?

Ed McLaughlin, Co-Founder of Predictive InSight

"Don’t wait! There still a learning curb ahead of you. The time to think about it is over. There is no longer a time for copier dealers to consider whether or not you should be in managed IT services business – so reach out to a partner who can help you accelerate quickly. In the beginning, I’m going to suggest there is only partnering. It’s the only quick start and scalable."

Customer Service & Retention

Colin Knox, Head of Community Engagement at SolarWinds

"Have regular conversations to help customers understand their needs so when you have a new offering, they already are on board. 64% of consumers are very likely to adopt a new product/service immediately after it’s introduced by a company that offers a good customer experience. Providing education can also build your reputation as a trusted technology advisor and can establish you as a leader to the company rather than just a supplier or vendor."

Adjusting Messaging

Sean Dahlman, New Business Development at Pantheon Computers

"My success comes from staying top of mind. With our prospect’s world changing by the minute, it’s now more important than ever to stay top of mind. The change isn't HOW I’m reaching my audience, but WHAT type of message I’m delivering. Customers must feel like you're invested in their business, into their staff, and into their family. A lot of tactics are still the same, but personalizing the message to what customers need now is imperative."

Ramping Sales 

Tim West, Vice President of Sales at Advance Business Systems

"There are still managed IT opportunities available right now, people are still making IT decisions in every one of our markets. As things are evolving, we’ve actually decided to ramp up activity, not down. We created a benchmark for each managed IT rep to make 150+ outreaches per week, and there is a way to strategic do those outreaches that make sense."

Hiring Talent

Denise Miller, Senior HR Consultant at PathShare^® HR Services

"Now can be a good time to go 'talent shopping!' Spending time cultivating reach outs to top talent now may save you time later. It’s true some candidates may be unemployed due to the pandemic. It’s also true some are still employed, but may not be happy with the way their company has handled them or COVID-19. Given this, potential candidates may be more open to other options, receptive to a conversation, and you may see your response rates improve."

Lead Generation

Dan Kurns, Digital Marketing Consultant at Dan Kurns Consulting

"Prospects are doing more and more research, and are more connected than ever before. Digital marketing is at a pivot point! Don’t be afraid to change up your messaging, swap out your email sends, and shelve some now untimely content. Things are changing quickly and frequently in 2020, and so might your marketing efforts. Re-evaluate your strategies as appropriate to provide your potential clients and customers with valuable messages."

Industry Activity

JP Cervo, Regional Sales Manager at Etactics

"People dealing with sensitive data in environments that are no longer truly controlled by their organizations, provide cyber criminals many new vulnerabilities to exploit, or low hanging fruit to pick. Cybersecurity is more important now than it ever has been."

Outreach Efforts

Sean Dahlman, Pantheon Computers

"Sales can still happen today and are happening. The change isn't HOW we’re reaching our audience but instead the change is WHAT type of message we’re delivering to our audience. Businesses are witnessing the vulnerabilities and daily challenges with working remotely, response times are critical, and they are mindful of the security of their data with their current support whether that’s internal or outsourced."

DJ Dillenberger, Americom Imaging Systems

"Clients are looking to us for help connecting their team securely. We’ve been proactively working with clients on continuity plans without knowing what the future held. These became critical for customer's, and it hit home that they made the right move, they are spending the right money, and reassured us as providers that what we’re providing is beneficial and can pay dividends long term."

Darrin Denney, Americom Imaging Systems

"We’re taking time to figure out what more our current customers need to improve their environment. We’re staying busy whether it is working with existing clients or prospecting new opportunities. We anticipate prospects will realize their remote work situation could have been better, and we look forward to helping them implement the technology they need to remain efficient."